A Position's Power
by Deltree
Summary: Momo really should watch what he says to Kaidoh when they fight. Especially when Ryoma can easily overhear. MomoRyo. Implied InuiKai


Title: A Position's Power

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis or its characters

Warnings: Language, yaoi

Summary: Momo really should watch what he says to Kaidoh when they fight. Especially when Ryoma can easily overhear.

AN: This is just some really short thing that wouldn't leave me alone. I needed to get it out of my head. Also I have a question. For those of you who have read it, should I write an Epilogue to The Sound of Two Heads Crashing? I think I might have an idea for one.

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It was Momo's loud voice that drew Ryoma to the area at first. The older boy's voice was hard to miss, especially when he talked as loudly as he was talking then. And Ryoma was just about to turn the corner when what Momo was actually saying finally hit.

"You're Inui-senpai's little _girl_, aren't you? You sure follow him around enough like one."

"Pshhhhhhhhhh. I _don't_ follow him around like a little girl." Apparently Momo had managed to corner Kaidoh.

"Yeah?" Momo replied laughingly. "Then what's with the way you act around him? All emotional and needy. Of course, you're an uke so I guess I shouldn't be surprised, huh?"

"Pshhhhhhh." Apparently Kaidoh was either too embarrassed or angry to make words just then.

"I mean, really. You probably can't even make your own decisions without Inui-senpai around. It's always 'yes, senpai,' 'yes, senpai.' Like you don't even have your own mind."

"Pshhhhh. _Bastard_," Kaidoh hissed. "I'll show you—

Momo just laughed and interrupted him. "Like I'm scared of a poor, little _uke_. Oooh. Oh no, you might _cry_ on me. Please. I—

That was all Ryoma needed to hear. Turning around the corner to find Momo cornering Kaidoh against a wall, Kaidoh's hands clenched into tight fists and glaring death at his rival but Momo looking as relaxed as they came, Ryoma snapped, "Momo-senpai."

Not even looking away from the developing fight, Momo waved him off. He actually waved him off. "Just a minute Echizen. I'm in the middle of something."

That really only pissed Ryoma off to a new level. So, before Momo could start up with the insults again, Ryoma said, as calmly and icily as he could, "Momo-senpai. We need to go."

Now Momo finally turned to him, looking pleading, "But Echizen, I—

"_Now_."

Momo blinked at the anger barely held back behind that word and finally seemed to realize that Ryoma was pissed off, big-time. Blinking more in surprise, Momo looked at him for a long moment then nodded slowly. "Okay. Okay. Just let me say good-bye to the Mamushi."

"No," Ryoma said coldly with a dark glare at his boyfriend. "I think it would be better if we just left."

Starting to look confused, Momo looked back at the angry Kaidoh and then back at Ryoma. "Well . . . okay. But I need to get my bag."

"Go get it," Ryoma ordered coldly. "I'll be at the bike rack." And then Ryoma walked off as calmly as he could.

Throwing one more confused look at the angry Kaidoh, as if Kaidoh would actually help him figure out the younger boy, Momo ran off to get his stuff from the clubhouse. Nobody was in there when he opened the door and he quickly got all of his stuff from his locker and threw it in his bag. That done, he ran off to meet his boyfriend at the bike racks, wondering what could have made Ryoma so obviously angry.

He hadn't said anything stupid, had he?

Had somebody else said something? Maybe he hadn't done anything at all.

Still running ideas through his head, Momo arrived at the bike rack to find Ryoma standing there just as he'd said he would be. The younger boy also seemed to have calmed down some, but only to have iced everything over with a cold expression.

Barely waiting for Momo to unlock his bike, Ryoma turned and set off for some random destination. Worried, Momo said nothing and did his best to follow. He followed for a long time without saying anything. If there was anything his time with Ryoma had taught him, it was that you don't want to say anything stupid whenever Ryoma gets mad. It only made everything worse.

Finally, after a long and tense silence where they continued to walk to some random destination, Ryoma spoke. "So," he began calmly and Momo winced, hearing the anger behind the calm. This could not turn out good.

"You think I'm weak," Ryoma continued just as calmly, as if he was talking about the weather. "A cry-baby. A little girl. Unable to use my own mind. Apparently emotional and needy."

Stopping abruptly, unable to move after hearing that, Momo stared at Ryoma as if he had gone suddenly crazy. "_What?_"

Coming to a stop himself, Ryoma just looked back at Momo calmly. "You think that, don't you?"

Momo's mouth worked before he could finally make words. "What? I – _No_. Why would you even think that?" Because, really, what could have made Ryoma think that?

"I heard what you said to Kaidoh-senpai," Ryoma answered flatly and what did that have to do with anything anyways?

"So?" Momo asked, totally confused. "What does that have to do with— Running over what he remembered saying to the Mamushi, Momo stopped, beginning to get an idea. Could Ryoma really have taken things so out of context? "I was talking to the Mamushi! I don't think you're like that at all!"

"But I'm an uke," Ryoma said, still with that same calm, and he eyed Momo as if daring him to challenge that. "And apparently ukes are weak, emotional, needy, little girls."

Momo's mouth worked again. He didn't know what to say to that.

"Tell me," Ryoma began again, still infuriatingly calm. "Do you think Fuji-senpai and Kikumaru-senpai are like that too?"

"I – No!" Momo cried. "I just – I was just – It's the Mamushi!" Momo exclaimed, trying to find a way out of this. "You've seen what he acts like around Inui-senpai."

"I think he acts perfectly normal."

And, really, Momo couldn't exactly say anything to that without making this situation worse. Still he tried to think of something, anything, to make this better. All he could do was repeat, "I don't think you're like that."

"But I'm an uke," Ryoma only said again, just as calmly. Looking up at Momo with those piercing golden eyes, Momo began to sweat as Ryoma only continued, "And you think ukes are like that. So you must think I'm like that."

"I don't. I seriously, seriously don't," Momo said, pleading Ryoma with his eyes to believe him. "You know that." And he should probably have shut up, but he couldn't help but add, "I just think the Mamushi's like that."

"Because he's an uke," Ryoma said, raising a brow at Momo again as if daring him to say something to that.

"No. No . . . I . . ." Momo trailed off, feeling sick. That had been his reasoning, hadn't it?

Ryoma just nodded as if he had known this all along. Which he actually, kind of, had.

"I . . ." Momo started again, trying to come up with anything to make things better. All he came up with was a pathetic, "I don't think you're like that."

Ryoma just looked at him for a long, painful moment and then said, "I can't be with someone who looks down on me. I won't even try."

Momo's eyes grew large and he stared at Ryoma, his mouth starting to work again. "But – but I _don't_ look down on you! You're one of the most amazing people I know! Even without the tennis, you're amazing."

Ryoma frowned. "And yet, apparently still weak, needy, emotional, unable—

"Will you stop saying that!" Momo snapped, interrupting Ryoma before he could finish. Starting to feel a little anger himself, Momo glared down at the younger boy. "I don't think you're like that and you know it, so stop it!"

There was a long pause as Ryoma looked at him and seemed to think things over. Finally he said, "Apologize to Kaidoh-senpai." And then, as if that wasn't bad enough, he added, "In front of everyone."

"What?" Momo stared at the other boy, unable to believe that it had come to that, "When did you start caring about the Mamushi's feelings?"

And Ryoma smirked, finally starting to act more like the boy Momo had fallen in love with. "Oh, I don't. I just think it would be funny."

"Can't I do something else?" Momo pleaded and Ryoma frowned.

"It's that or I break up with you," he said, giving the ultimatum almost casually. " You choose."

And Momo sighed. He knew which one he'd be choosing. He only wished his humiliation didn't have to be so public.

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It was the next day, during afternoon practice. Ryoma had been giving him pointed looks the whole day and finally it came time when all of the Regulars were gathered together for a break and Momo decided to just get it over with before Ryoma actually went through with his threat and broke up with him.

So he stepped up to where Kaidoh was sitting on the bench and opened his mouth.

"Ma—he started, but stopped when Ryoma gave him a pointed glare. "I mean, Kaidoh," Momo finished, the name feeling strange on his tongue.

Kaidoh looked up at the sound of his name and frowned when he found that it was Momo. "What?" he snapped, going on the defensive as Momo saying his actual name was a strange thing.

Momo sighed and looked around to see that they had caught the attention of at least half of the other Regulars. He was sure what he had to say would bring the rest around shortly. Giving one last glance at Ryoma, Momo turned to Kaidoh.

"I wanted to say," he began laboriously, "I'm sorry for yesterday." And he was right. Now everybody was staring at him. "I apologize," he continued, doggedly moving forward and keeping his attention on Kaidoh's face, "for everything. You are not Inui-senpai's little girl."

Kaidoh blushed a bright red and looked around at the assembled Regulars, obviously wishing Momo hadn't chosen such a public place to bring this up.

"And you are not weak," Momo still continued and if he sounded like he was reciting a script then so what? "Or emotional or needy or unable to decide anything by yourself just because of your position in bed."

Now Kaidoh really blushed and everybody else seemed to understand just what was going on because Eiji struggled to not laugh and Oishi blushed while Fuji's smile grew and Inui adjusted his glasses and continued his notes.

"In fact, you are greater than all of us who aren't ukes," Momo continued and Eiji nearly fell over, he was struggling so hard to contain his laughter. Oishi helped him back up and looked at him in worry as Eiji leaned on him and sniggered.

Momo ignored him. "And actually, you are probably more powerful than me because of it."

A burst of laughter from Eiji.

And then, drawing together all of his courage, Momo went on to the part Ryoma had added to his speech just because the younger boy had thought it was hysterical. "I am not worthy to stand in your shadow because I am Echizen's bitch-boy and always do what I'm told."

Ryoma tilted his cap over his face to hide his satisfied smile even as Eiji finally burst out laughing and just wouldn't stop.

Momo blushed a deep red and then hurried off to hide in clubhouse for as long as he could.

Fuji came up behind Ryoma and clapped him on the shoulder. "I have to say, that was some fine manipulation. What did he do to deserve that?"

Ryoma smirked and would only say, "Nothing."

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The End


End file.
